


After You Sow

by TheSinfulwolf



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Flash Fic, Flash Fiction, Lesbian, Spring, alternative history, farmers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23885494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSinfulwolf/pseuds/TheSinfulwolf
Summary: After the crops are planted, a young couple settle in for a night of pleasures. Come the morning they must face the world.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: The Abyss's April 2020 Flash Fiction Compendium





	After You Sow

The room smelled of sweat and sex while dawn’s light poured through the open window and basked across the two women entangled in each other’s limbs and the sheets of their bed. As bird song pierced into their dreams they began to stir. Skin brushed across skin as the damp sheet was tugged off their naked forms. 

Iphis was the first to lift her head, glancing out the window with a squint and a tired groan. 

“Should have shut the damn shutters. This would have lasted longer,” Dirce said, sliding her arms around Iphis’s body and pressing lips just beneath her bust. 

The temptation to stay in bed pulled at her, especially when tongue slid along skin, tasting the faint linger of salt. Fingertips drifted along Iphis’s side, down to the curve of her hip, offering temptation of continued pleasures. But, Iphis reached down and cupped her lover’s chin, tilting her head to face her. For a moment they stayed like that, and the longer they stared the more that Dirce’s eyes watered. The reality of dawn breaking away the blissful fog of their night’s lust.

“You can’t go,” she said, the first tear spilling down her cheek. 

Heart straining at the sight, Iphis leaned down to press her lips to her lover’s own. There was no opening mouths and questing tongues as there had been the night before. Just a soft caress of lips that lingered for a few heartbeats. When Iphis leaned back, Dirce wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand, and Iphis vowed to remember this moment.

“It will be okay. Everything will be okay,” Iphis said, leaning down to press a kiss to Dirce’s forehead. 

“You can’t promise that,” Dirce almost whimpered the words as Iphis rose from the bed, already reaching back to start braiding her hair.

“I can. The crops are planted, it’s a good spring, with good rain. The priests have even said that the bugs won’t be bad this year. I can promise everything will be okay,” Iphis said as she finished with her braid and moving across the room to find her sandals, slipping them on and making sure the bronze plates covering her shins were snug before trying them off.

“No,” Dirce shouted, more tears falling as she got to her knees on the bed. Iphis glanced back as she put on her undergarments, and let out a long sigh. Dirce got up, hands curling to fists at her sides at Iphis picked up her skirt of leather pleats.

“No, you cannot promise that. How can you promise that?” the woman demanded as Iphis fitted the bronze to her forearms. She spent a moment ensuring the cords were tied snug and that nothing would shift. It just wouldn’t do to have anything shift. 

“Give me a fucking answer to that at least,” Dirce demanded, moving closer, the temptation to strike her lover, to hurt her so she couldn’t leave.

“The harvest will be good this year. The market will be eager for the wheat as well after last year’s drought, and the soil will be healthy for next year,” Iphis said, and picked up the bronze chest piece, slipping it on over her head.

“I don’t give a fuck about the harvest Iphis! I don’t care about the money. I love you... I want you, here, in my arms. Can you promise that? Can you promise you’ll come back?” Dirce said, and her lover sighed again. She turned and pulled Dirce into a tight embrace, hugging her close.

Breaking into sobs, Dirce knew the answer before it passed from those lips she had enjoyed against her own so often. Against her skin throughout the long dark hours of night. The ones that smiled so beautifully, and spoke words of comfort when the world outside seemed nothing but strife and misery. 

“I can’t promise that. I could never lie to you. I just know, everything will be okay,” Iphis said, and kissed the top of Dirce’s head before slipping out from the embrace. 

“That’s a lie. You know it’s a lie,” Dirce shouted watching as her lover picked up her helmet with it’s beautiful plume of blue dyed horse hair. How much she hated it right now as Iphis put it on and slung her large shield across her back.

“No Dirce. Because I’ll always be there for you. No matter where I am. Whether here, or Elysium, I’ll always be there,” she said, strapped on her sword belt.

“Please... don’t go,” Dirce cried, but Iphis only kissed her one last time.

“I will see you again my love. Everything will be okay. Even Demeter smiles on these days,” Iphis said, bending to pick up her spear before striding out the door of the farm house the two of them shared. 

She paused when she reached the road, and blew a kiss to her lover, before striding off to war. That most vile thing that came with the waters and flowers of spring. Dirce fell to her knees and cried out, clutching at the frame of the door while the salt of her lover’s skin faded from her lips. 

As the sun rose, glinting of Iphis’s armour, the hoplite warrior grew smaller and smaller. Further and further away. To where bloodshed and death awaited her.

So Dirce stayed, clinging to a promise she struggled to believe, and hoping that some day she could indeed see her again. Without having to cross into Elysium. 

Looking upwards, her eyes scanning the road, Dirce could no longer see Iphis.


End file.
